“He could no longer claim to be Fitzwilliam Darcy of Derbyshire, brother to Georgiana, master of Pemberley. He was, in that moment, a man. A man filled with more frustration than most souls could bear. A man torn asunder by his desperation, his fruitless dreams and desires.”After Elizabeth Bennet rejects his proposal of marriage, Fitzwilliam Darcy finds himself in the most unusual of … circumstances. At first believing the extraordinary turn of events has granted him an inexplicable boon, he is eager to put the humiliating proposal behind him. He soon discovers that he is trapped in a waking dream, with no end in sight and no possible escape. All that he holds dear–his name, his home, his love–remains ever out of reach. How will he find his way back to his normal life? Will one mistake haunt the rest of his days? It will take all of his fortitude to weather the storms of his strange new fate, and all of his courage to grasp the promise of his future.
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Reliving the same dreadful day over and over. What is this madness? Hell? Torturous Punishment? Or is it something more?
The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy opens with a ball at Netherfield where he has an acrimonious dance set with a woman who believes his rival, a vulgar family disgusts with their antics, and Fitzwilliam Darcy is left with the unhappy knowledge that the woman who captivates him can never be his. There are scenes unfolding that are ominous to the reader who sees that Darcy is making mistake after mistake due to pride, arrogance, and blindness to others until the fateful day when it all comes to a head. Then mysteriously Darcy ends up reliving that fateful day. He is the only one who realizes the day is reset so whatever the others around him know or whatever he set in motion happens fresh and new for all, but him.
The authors cunningly force Darcy to see himself and the others around him as they really are and force him to consider matters from other perspectives. It is brutal as he first is in disbelief, then anger, then frustration, then torture, indifference, and then finally understanding as he encounters the same day played out in various scenarios depending on his words and actions. There is one catalyst and he must work through all of them to find it and once he does, fix it and the other matters.
It’s a unique story of growth and change that happens by magical means. I enjoyed it and was pleased that the authors made it just the right balance of conflict with development of his story and romance. I loved that there was quite a bit that comes afterward to see how he has changed and has affected the unfolding events from that change so that a new direction takes place. Though, that said, this is a Pride & Prejudice variation story so readers familiar with the original classic will see familiar milestones just maybe in a different place and order.
The characters are interesting in that there are subtle differences that those who encountered them in Jane Austen’s original will perceive how the differences change the outcome. For instance, Jane Bennet has a sprinkling of spice to her and there’s some life to Miss Anne de Bourgh that captivates. I love that though this is very much Darcy’s tale and told only from his perspective that certain minor characters get much more page time and affect the outcome of the story more.
Oh, and I would suggest that the readers be up on the original story so that the brief set up scenes in the beginning make sense and do not confuse the readers.
It was intriguing to see what this mysterious device (which is never fully explained) of reliving one day can do to a story and it’s characters. I had fun with this one and recommend it for those who want to explore a bit of something different in their Austenesque variation romances.
OMG!! OMG!! Can I give this 10-stars?
I am so blown away that I can hardly find the words to write this review. Oh-My-Gosh seems so lacking but I can’t stop myself from saying it. OMG! OMG!!
We open with a Prologue at a crucial time in our story and Darcy uttering those famous words ‘I shall conquer this. I shall.’ The scene is rather shocking and we have to wonder what on earth brought Mr. Darcy to this desperation.
Let me just say the language in this literary work is amazing and no more so than in chapter one. Our characters are at the Netherfield Ball and Darcy is behaving badly with his disdainful looks and haughty demeanor. Caroline slithers near him ever so slowly and circles Darcy as she whispers in his ear her poison toward the denizens of Meryton and especially the Bennet family. The poetic language is pure seduction as well as destructive. Amazing!!! Read it slowly for effect.
Our dear Colonel was a hoot throughout this story but never such a cut up as in chapter 2. I laughed so hard I nearly wet my pants as he and Darcy swapped quips. I have never heard those terms used before and their humor was hilarious. They traveled to Kent to see their Aunt and learned that Mr. Collins had married someone from Hertfordshire… Darcy gasped and held his breath… the former Charlotte Lucas… released breath.
Chapter 3 is pretty much canon of the visit and walks in the park, visits to the parsonage and in Chapter 4, we meet up with Darcy as he makes a hasty retreat from the Parsonage… having made his disastrous proposal. It is a very bad day in his life and he makes arrangements to leave Kent the earliest possible the next morning. Only, the next morning never comes. Thus, starts the many days… of the day… in the life of Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Along with Darcy, we travel through his many days filled with various thoughts and emotions: disbelief, fear, horror, grief, sorrow, frustration, anger, resignation, dejection, regret and repentance. Some days are hilarious, some grief stricken, and then he decides to try to find the catalyst that has prompted this penance that he is being forced to pay.
Let me just say that with each page I turned… it got even better. The further along I went… the more intense the story became. And then THE day dawned… and you knew that something was different and everything mattered. It was outstanding… most excellent, and with such profound language. Darcy was truly a new man, with eyes that saw and ears that heard… everything. And what he saw touched him as never before… new eyes for Anne, Fitzwilliam and most of all his Aunt, Lady Catherine. I nearly cried. And then Elizabeth, her family, both in London at Gracechurch Street and in Hertfordshire.
I will not spoil the reveal but the authors were so creative with their antics, his days, his nights and what finally unlocked the time warp/wrap. I loved it!! It is one to read and reread over and again [no pun intended]. I could not put it down. ODC took a walk in the park with language that melted my heart and I am still a bit wobbly from reading it. Such a declaration… I’ve never seen. Whew, let me catch my breath.
Before you read the epilogue… get your tissues… I cried my eyes out. Oh-My-Goodness!! I love this book. I loved the story, the creative use of time, language, descriptions and the hilarious antics were delightful. The authors are to be commended… excellent work.